Zoo News Digest is the longest established and most widely read listing of current 'zoo' related news on the internet. It notes 'real' events of interest to people working within the zoo industry. By a Zoo Professional for Zoo Professionals and other interested parties. The Digest includes comments and notification of courses and events.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

ZooNews Digest 27th June - 1st July 2009 (Zoo News 604)

I was shocked to read about the confiscation of the Orangutans from Taiping Zoo. One would have thought they would have learnt a thing or two after the Taiping Four fiasco. I am not going to say too much at this point because I am hoping that it is all a big bureaucratic mix up. I liked Taiping Zoo, the staff too, so I am sure that the excuse proffered is genuine. I am worried about the 'missing' animals as I well remember the large number of animals which disappeared from Safari World Bangkok and were never seen again.

It really does sicken me though when I see the uses and abuses that Orangutans are being put to. Take a look at my Hubs this week.

Thai authorities have over the past couple of years started the registration of Elephants and Tigers. It should be made a requirement to microchip all animals in Thai collections (or all collections anywhere for that matter). One of the main flaws with Asian Zoos is that nobody really knows who has what and how many. It is a problem that needs to be urgently addressed. Right now SEAZA members don't know. There are no stock lists readily available. Some of course do have them but it needs to be an all round requirement.

There is another SEAZA meeting in Korea in August. I would love to attend if anyone would like to sponsor me. Sadly this time it would have to include return flights from Thailand. I cannot personally afford it. I was lucky enough to get sponsorship for the last meeting in Thailand but due to political unrest it was cancelled twice so I never got there because it never happened.

Three baby orang utans believed to be part of a smuggled group of five animals were confiscated from the Taiping Zoo and a private ostrich breeder in Klang recently by the Department of Wildlife and National Park (Perhilitan).The raid on the zoo came about after the private ostrich breeder in Klang, who was keeping one of the five baby orang utans, revealed the matter to Perhilitan enforcers.It is learnt that Perhilitan is searching for the remaining two babies.Confirming this, Perhilitan’s deputy director-general Misliah Mohamad Basir said the zoo was raided after a tip-off.“All orang utans at the zoo are microchipped but these specimens were without microchips, hence we are able to ascertain that they are of dubious origin,” she said, adding that they were also without official papers.As the orang utan is a totally protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 as well as prohibited from international trade for its status as an Appendix I species on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), keeping the animal is only possible with a special permit from Perhilitan.Following the high-profile expose of the smuggling of about a dozen of orang utans from Indonesia in 2005, Perhilitan took an inventory of all orang utans held by private and public zoos to show its commitment to stemming out trafficking in the endangered species.Orang utan, the sole Asian ape, is only found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Three sub-species of the genus Pongo pygmaeus are distributed in Borneo while Sumatra is home to Pongo abelii.Misliah also said DNA samples of

An anonymous donor had dropped off the two young orang utans confiscated from the Taiping Zoo earlier this month, its director Dr Kevin Lazarus said.He said the zoo staff accepted the totally protected animals two or three weeks ago because they were concerned that the animals might be traded somewhere else."I was away at the time so I did not know who the donors were. We took the orang utans in as a social obligation,” said Dr Lazarus, who is also Malaysian Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria chairman.He added that the zoo was in the process of writing a letter to inform the Department of Wildlife and National Park (Perhilitan

'I feel like I've lost a son,' director emeritus Hanna says It's business as usual at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium despite the heavy hearts mourning the death of Executive Director Jeff Swanagan, Jack Hanna said yesterday."Today, I feel like I've lost a son, but the zoo will go on and we'll continue Jeff's dreams," said Hanna, the zoo's director emeritus.Swanagan, 51, died Sunday night, apparently of a heart attack, shortly after complaining that he didn't feel well while cutting grass at his home in Powell. His wife found him on the couch, and he was rushed to a hospital.Dale Schmidt, chief operating officer since fall, will be interim director, the zoo board announced yesterday. Schmidt was president of the Oregon Coast Aquarium for four years.Hanna said Swanagan's organs

The Pandeglang regency administration and legislative council have voiced their support for plans to expand the habitat of Javan rhinos at Ujung Kulon National Park (TNUK) in Banten province, on the western tip of Java. Regent Dimyati Natakusumah said the local administration and council hoped the TNUK would become a source of pride for the nation and also a world-renowned site that could pull in international revenue. "We've sent a letter to the Forestry Ministry to request an upgrade to the status of the TNUK to a World Wildlife Park, but they haven't responded yet," he said over the weekend, after a meeting in Pandeglang with representatives of international donors. To attain World Wildlife Park status, a park must have several

THE howler monkeys of Colombia are used to adapting.As babies many are forcibly removed from their mothers to be sold as pets or the troupe is divided by deforestation.For the past decade a project at La Pintada has helped rehabilitate and protect howlers, either handed in or confiscated by the authorities.South Lakes Wild Animal Park has been involved for the past six years.And despite announcing two weeks ago that he is planning to leave the zoo and Dalton behind him following a vicious stabbing at his home two years ago, zoo owner David Gill went to Colombia this year as usual.David goes to South America to

The pitter patter of tiny flippers could be heard on the beach in the wee hours of Saturday morning. At around 3 a.m., 92 precious little packages made their way to the ocean for the first time.They are newly hatched Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, the most endangered of all the sea turtles. But these particular babies were special in that their injured mother was the first turtle to come ashore on South Padre Island to nest this season, and had to be euthanized.During her journey to land, turtle observers believe she was struck by a boat, leaving

One of the most spectacular events in nature — mass migrations by large, hoofed, grass-eating animals — is endangered. That's what scientists conclude after completing what they say is the first comprehensive look at this phenomenon.Grant Harris from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a team of scientists compiled a record of all the great migrations in the historical record. These are "charismatic megafauna," says Harris: wildebeests and oryxes in Africa, caribous in North America, the antelopelike chiru in Asia. They move by the thousands over hundreds of miles of territory, seeking out fresh grass o

Almost a decade after they went extinct, two vultures have now been found in the city. On Saturday afternoon, a highly endangered Egyptian Vulture was found by an NGO, Wildlife SOS, from near the Ghazipur abattoir. A few days earlier, another Egyptian Vulture, also known as the Scavenger Vulture, was found by the Jain Bird Hospital in Old Delhi. According to experts, a veterinary drug called ‘Diclofenac’, poisonous to vultures, has led to the bird’s near extinction across the country — the rate of decline is put between 9

In an effort to woo more visitors, Zoo Ne-gara yesterday opened the country's first and Southeast Asia's largest Insect Zoo which will showcase 200 species of endangered insects found in the country's tropical rainforest. President of the Malaysian Zoological Society Datuk Ismail Hutson said the Insect Zoo would attract more domestic and foreign tourists as it consists of rare butterflies and insects."Its collection includes the Atlas Butterfly which is the largest butterfly in the world and Rajah Brooke's Birdwing butterfly, a species which was first discovered in 1855, and is regarded as the 'Prince of Butterflies' for its beauty, and the Orchid Praying Mantis, an insect which can camouflage itself as

The orphanage begun with just seven orphans, now has 89 jumbos, thanks partly to a successful breeding programme. Malaka Rodrigo reports, Pic by Sanka Vidanagama It was 3 a.m. The silence of the night was disturbed by some hurried footsteps toward the doctors’ quarters. A sarong-clad figure knocked on the door and called out “Sir.. You are needed.” The summons was anticipated and taking his medical kit, Dr. Rajapakse hurried toward the dimly-lit shed in a corner of the Pinnawela orphanage. ‘Surangie’ the female elephant was grunting in pain, only minutes away from delivering her first born. Soon she gave birth to a fine male

A new study has determined that with a drop in its numbers, the northern spotted owl has also lost genetic diversity. The northern spotted owl has been a controversial conservation icon for years, ever since large swaths of old-growth forest in the Pacific Northwest were set aside to protect the threatened bird 15 years

When the San Francisco Zoo opened during the Great Depression, chimpanzees were trained to ride elephants and zookeepers pried open big hippo jaws for applause.Eight decades later, the carnival has been replaced by conservation: The endangered aye-aye lemur lives in a pitch-black exhibit, so visitors can only glimpse the nocturnal animal after waiting 15 minutes for their eyes to adjust. While the zoo's approach to animal welfare has matured as it

Actor Robert Culp is appealing a judge's decision to dismiss his lawsuit seeking to stop construction of a new elephant exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo. In a lawsuit filed in August 2007, Culp and real estate agent Aaron Leider alleged the zoo withheld medical care, confined elephants in too small an area and used bull hooks and electric shock to control them. They also maintained a larger exhibit would be a waste of taxpayer money. While calling their arguments compelling -- including opinions from experts as far

Plans to transform Chester Zoo into Europe's largest conservation attraction are to go before the public.The £225m project includes a 56 hectare indoor African-themed rainforest where gorillas, chimpanzees and other tropical animals could move freely. The £90m "Heart of Africa" dome, which would form the initial phase of the scheme, would be the first of its kind in the UK. Chester Zoo is holding four public

Elephant droppings make quality compost, say staff at Ramat Gan Safari Park, and piles of it are saving piles of water. They have recently been using the droppings of the park's 12 elephants to fertilize the trees on the grounds, as well as to save water. Each elephant deposits seven kilograms of dung four times a day. After a few months the dung heap attracts bacteria, insects and worms, producing high quality compost. Safari staff are using the compost to seal the irrigation basin around young trees, enabling the water to permeate the roots, while slowing down its evaporation. "Until about a year ago we used to pay a company to collect the dung with a tractor," said zoologist Amelia Terkel. "But then we thought, why pay for removing it if we could use

British conservationists are to launch an ambitious project to safeguard the future of a colony of Galapagos finches which inspired Charles Darwin to formulate his radical theory of evolution. There are now only about 100 individuals left of the Galapagos mangrove finch, the rarest of the 14 closely related finch species that Darwin encountered when he visited the islands in 1835 as the naturalist on board the survey ship HMS Beagle. All of these species evolved from a single common ancestor to fit different niches in the ecosystem, and when Darwin realised this once he was back in

A calf has been born among the six rhinos living at the breeding sanctuary in Nakasongola district. This is the first birth of a rhino in Uganda in the last 20 years and brings the total to nine.“The calf is three days old, but the mother is too protective. So, it is difficult to get close to them to establish its gender,” said Angie Genade, the executive director of Rhino Fund Uganda. The mother, 10-year-old Nandi, is one of the four rhinos that were donated by the Disney Animal Kingdom in the US. According to Genade, the donation was aimed at helping in the breeding of rhinos at Nakasongola for re-introduction into the country’s parks. She also pointed out that Nandi produced 16 months after conceiving and that this was her first birth. Rhinos are globally endangered because of their

After tireless efforts by the Community Development Department (CDD) of CDGK, four baby elephants from Tanzania will be arriving here on late Monday night through a special charter airplane and would be kept in Safari Park for quarantine period, informed sources told The Nation. The sources confirmed that after removing all the hurdles, the four baby elephants would be landed at Karachi airport at 11:30pm through a charter flight, hired by the exporter company Osaka traders, sources said. They added that the four baby elephants would be shifted to Safari Park soon after their arrival where a quarantine station has been established. After staying for at least 15 days at the quarantine station, they would be shifted into a big enclosure for elephants. The DO Safari Park, Raza Abbas Rizvi, said that all arrangements for housing the elephants in the quarantine station had been completed and the visitors of Safari Park would be able to see the four baby elephants in the quarantine station from the very first day in the park. The EDO of CDD, Rehana Saif, confirmed The Nation that

A new walk-through Kea aviary is complete at Orana Wildlife Park and tomorrow some of the residents move in!Tomorrow, Orana Wildlife Park's elderly Kea, Silver (20) and Kikimo (24), will move home from their 30 year old aviary (64 square metres) into a newly completed 352 square metre home. The birds will be given the chance to adapt to their new setting before the aviary is opened to the public later this year.This exciting 'walk-through' exhibit was built by the Park's Development team. The aviary has been five years in the planning and took one year to construct. It will provide the Kea with a healthier home and enable visitors to have close encounters with the 'Clown of the Mountains.'Head Keeper of Native Fauna, Tara Atkinson, says she cannot wait to see

German artists Christoph Steinbrener and Rainer Dempf have crafted a strange combination -- art installation meets zoo exhibit -- at Vienna's Schönbrunn Zoo. The end result, called "Trouble in Paradise," is intended to raise awareness about the perils of habitat destruction in an innovative, if off-putting, way. The zoo says the artists used the concept of the readymade -- everyday objects functioning as art, made famous by artist Marcel Duchamp with pieces such as "Bicycle Wheel" and "Fountain" -- as inspiration. The exhibits created by Steinbrener and Dempf include a penguin habitat with a prominently placed oil pump, railroad tracks in the bison enclosure, and wrecked cars submerged in the water of the rhinoceros enclosure. "Trouble in Paradise" will run through October 18, after which the altered enclosures will be returned to their original, pristine states."Trouble in Paradise" has already proven provocative: three zoogoers

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved a $1.1 million cost overrun for the second phase of the Pachyderm Forest at the Los Angeles Zoo, with promises of tightened procedures for future work. The elephant project generated controversy earlier this year when animal activists mounted a massive campaign to get the zoo to shut down the exhibit and relocate its lone elephant, Billy. After a lengthy debate, the council voted in January to continue building the $42 million project. "What's done is done," said Councilman Tony Cardenas, who had opposed the overall project. "We can't do much about that at this point, but we can look ahead to make sure we have procedures in place to prevent cost overruns." City officials said the higher costs were due to price increases

TWO rare fishing cats have arrived at Newquay Zoo to join a breeding programme for the endangered species.The cats arrived from Port Lympne Wild Animal and Safrai Park in Kent this week.Named Ping (female) and Bing (male), the cats will take a few weeks to settle in at their new surroundings.Numbers of fishing cats have decreased as their waterways in Pakistan, India and Nepal are cleared or polluted. They are also used for medicine by some cultures and hunted ferociously by farmers, due to their capability of taking livestock.Director of Newquay Zoo, Stewart Muir, said: "Unusually for a cat, but as the name suggests, fishing cats

A new zoo attraction is giving visitors a chance to see its inhabitants from a different perspective. As I climb into my harness, that classic Disney refrain, "I'm the king of the swingers, a Jungle VIP", is dancing around in my head; its infectious beat overlaid with the excited chirruping from the group of children who surround me. I'm at Bristol Zoo and I'm just about to have a go on their latest attraction, ZooRopia. Part ropes course, part aerial nature trail, it's the first of its kind in Europe that is open to anybody over the age of five and is set in a zoo environment

Next week in Geneva, a prime issue for a UN endangered species committee called Cites will be illegal trade in wild tigers. In this week's Green Room, Debbie Banks argues that a handful of businessmen want to reduce the tigers to nothing more than a luxury commodity."Bagh Bachao, Jungle Bachao, Bharat Bachao" is the rallying cry of NGOs and activists across India, and they're right: Save the Tiger, Save the Forest, Save India. The future of the tiger and its jungle home are inextricably linked to the survival of all of us, not just the people who live in tiger country. The forests that are protected in the name of the tiger are vital to mitigate climate change and to secure water resources. The tiger is an indicator of the health of the ecosystem and thus a symbol of good governance and political commitment to an equitable and sustainable future. It is also a cultural and religious icon, venerated, feared and revered by communities across Asia and the world. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has been investigating and exposing the illegal trade in tigers and other Asian big cats for over 10 years. We have documented the changes in the markets and the increasing role of organised criminal networks. We have campaigned for more effective enforcement initiatives to disrupt their operations, and know there is so much more that governments could do if they wanted to. Hijacked conservationLooking to the future, it is essential to plug some of the gaps in conservation strategies. Many people living alongside tigers have yet to benefit from the millions of tourist dollars that the "world's favourite animal" generates; but in India, home to the largest remaining population of wild tigers, investment, policy and practice are at least moving in the right direction. The same cannot be said for other countries, where business interests are hijacking the tiger conservation agenda, calling for the relaxation of trade bans so they can flood the market with farmed tiger parts. The logic behind such a move is that since tigers breed well in captivity, farming them is an economical solution to satisfying demand whilst alleviating pressure on wild populations. It's a simplistic logic that rests on critical assumptions about the complex nature and dynamics of the illegal trade in tigers and other Asian big cats. Assumptions about the motivations of those involved in the trade, the costs of the trade, the scale and type of consumer demand: all plugged in to economic models and squirted out the other side as gospel. What the followers of this faith have failed to acknowledge is that their version of events does not hold true in the real world. The risk of proceeding with this as an experiment is enormous, and the stake is no less than the extinction of the wild tiger. So who are these disciples and what is their motivation? There are tiger farms in Thailand but by far the biggest ones are in China, where there are reportedly around 5,000 animals in captivity. Despite a 1993 ban prohibiting the sale and use of tigers in China, business interests have continued to breed them, speculating that the ban would one day be lifted and that they would be sitting on a valuable stockpile of body parts. 'Conflict of interest'Some argue that they want to sell tiger bone to save lives. Yet the Chinese medicinal community has long since promoted alternatives to tiger bone, which was never considered a life-saving ingredient in the first place. Others just want to sell tiger bone wine. In fact, some businessmen are so keen they have already been found in breach of Chinese law, illegally selling the wine in tiger-shaped bottles and in one case, selling tiger meat. EIA and others have found tiger bone wine being marketed as a general tonic and packaged

Active Environments is proud to present the third Training and Enrichment Workshop with our new host, The Oakland Zoo. This unique five-day workshop will present an array of topics relating to behavioral management with particular emphasis on positive reinforcement training techniques (PRT) and environmental enrichment (EE). The workshop is designed for keepers, managers, supervisors, curators, and veterinarians working with a wide array of animals held in zoos. This workshop emphasizes the behavioral management approach to caring for captive animals, with focus on environmental enrichment, positive reinforcement training, and the problem-solving process. Workshop format includes lecture, discussion, small group projects, demonstrations, and multiple hands-on training and enrichment opportunities with Oakland Zoo’s diverse collection. Skills taught are directly related to enhancing staff’s ability to manage captive animal behavior, improve animal welfare, and enhance the overall care and management of captive animals. The Workshop format is designed to maximize the value for each participant and as much as possible to address specific situations, needs, problems, and objectives. Be prepared to interact, share, and participate to make the experience as useful and relevant to you as possible.

The registration fee (TBD) includes the following:· 6 nights stay in the La Quinta Inn at Oakland Airport· All workshop materials, including a copy of Don’t Shoot the Dog· All breakfasts, lunches and snacks during the workshop· Icebreaker, one dinner, and closing banquet (3 dinners)· Transportation to and from workshop and airport· Commemorative Workshop t-shirt

We have reserved a block of rooms at the Hotel based on double occupancy; single rooms available with increased registration fee.

We are pleased to announce that we have added a guest presenter to our class this year. Robin Shewokis of The Leather Elves will present an introduction to Enrichment for Captive Raptors. Robin has consulted with zoos around the world on the subject of Enrichment for captive animals; this is a great opportunity to have her visit Albuquerque !

In addition to Robin's presentation the class covers:

Basic raptor biologyEquipment used with raptors in educational programsHandling techniquesRaptor possession permit requirementsIntroduction to science based training strategiesHands-on time with birds

Since this class has a hands-on component the size of the class is limited so please make your reservation as soon as possible.

The cost of the class is $65.00 per person; this includes a printed handbook and a lunch snack on each day. Please call (505) 349 5714 or email classes@AvianAmbassadors.com for a registration form today.

Places in the class will be filled on a first come first served basis. Your registration will be confirmed when we acknowledge receipt of payment.We have secured a special room rate at the Marriott Uptown Hotel of $89.00 per night for those travelling to Albuquerque .

Please call (505) 881-6800 to make room reservations and be sure to mention the "Raptor Handling Class" in order to secure the special rate.

The Society for Conservation Biology is pleased to solicit applications for the David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship Program. These Fellowships enable outstanding early-career scientists based at a United States institution to improve and expand their research skills while directing their efforts towards problems of pressing conservation concern for the United States. The Program especially encourages individuals who want to better link conservation science and theory with pressing policy and management applications to apply. We envision that the cadre of scientists supported by the Smith Fellows Program eventually will assume leadership positions across the field of conservation science. Fellows are selected on the basis of innovation, potential for leadership and strength of proposal.

*******************************************************************************Announcing the ASZK Des Spittall Scholarship for Keeper Research

Named in honour of the late Des Spittall, a life member of ASZK, the ASZK committee has launched the Des Spittall Scholarship for keeper research. This is open to people who have been a financial member of ASZK for 12 months or more. This is an annual scholarship up to the value of $2,000. Applications close 31st October 2009Please forward ‘Des Spittall Scholarship for Keeper Research’ application to ASZK President no later than 31st of October each year at email eo@aszk.org.au

About Me

I have worked in the zoo world for over 48 years in the capacity of keeper, head keeper and curator. For information related to a zoos, zoo careers and more please see:
http://hubpages.com/_BL29/hub/The-Zoo-Hubs
See also my profile at:
http://www.google.com/profiles/elvinhow